


Red Tape

by echoinautumn (maybetwice)



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Bureaucracy, Gen, Gen Fic, Government Agencies, Missing Scene, playing in someone else's sandbox
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-11
Updated: 2012-12-11
Packaged: 2017-11-20 21:42:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/589952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maybetwice/pseuds/echoinautumn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony makes a call for a friend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Red Tape

**Author's Note:**

  * For [samalander](https://archiveofourown.org/users/samalander/gifts).
  * Inspired by [(sleep wake hope and then)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/412288) by [samalander](https://archiveofourown.org/users/samalander/pseuds/samalander). 



> A missing scene for _samalander's [(sleep wake hope and then)](http://archiveofourown.org/works/412288), per a meme I put up on LJ a couple days ago. Also, I know very, very little about this fandom/series of fandoms, having only seen a couple of the movies exactly once each. So, fair warning, we do not have full operational awareness here.

Tony knows perfectly well that a mid-afternoon call to Rhodey won’t be met well, but he does it anyway, leaning back in his office chair with his feet on the desk and flips his paperweight up into the air, making a game with how often he can catch it, how close it can get to the floor before some tech-arm will shoot out and catch it before it smashes on the ground. The phone rings three times before he gets through to the E-3 at the phones, who fumbles with the handset when Tony says his name and grins. 

“Right, sir. I mean, Mr. Stark. Sir. Transferring you now.”

When Rhodey answers the phone, he’s still barking at the kid for interrupting a call with a one-star, the trouble it’s going to be to smooth over _those_ ruffled feathers. 

“What is it?” 

“Tony Stark,” Tony announces smugly. He can’t hear Rhodey rolling his eyes on the other side of the line, but he can hear him muttering under his breath and flopping into a chair that’s a few dozen times less comfortable than the one Tony is in, no doubt about that. “I have a favor I need from you.”

“You have money, you don’t need favors, Tony,” Rhodey reminds him irritably. “Not unless you want to be a bother.”

Tony tuts and throws his paperweight up again, catching it smoothly now. “Money can’t break through government bureaucracy. Not in this country, usually. Great American system and all that.”

This time, Tony is sure he can actually hear the eye roll.

“We’ve been through this. I can’t help you hack through the military contracting system, even if your name weren’t ruined around those parts from dumping all your weapons contracts on a whim.”

“Not military. Not exactly.” Tony flips the paperweight through his fingertips and sits up straighter. “Captain Rogers--you know, the tall, strapping, young one with the stars and stripes on his hat--is having some trouble with securing his GI Bill benefits with the VA. I don’t have any pull there, but I thought you might know a little more about making something happen for him, since his situation’s a little, ah, let’s go with _delicate._ ”

“Captain Rogers,” Rhodey echoes blankly, as if he hasn’t heard anything else Tony said after that. “Captain America wants to go back to college?”

He smirks with a quiet huff, and Rhodey grunts in irritation, as if he knows exactly what expression Tony is making and what it means. Tony is pretty sure Rhodey does, in fact, know that. “Exactly. Think you might be able to make a couple calls and move his paperwork along some? I think most of the trouble is in the dates of his active duty.”

“Oh, for chrissakes, Tony,” Rhodey groans, his voice a little muffled. Tony assumes it’s because he’s covered his entire face with his hand. “Captain Rogers’ file is classified to the highest order. Technically speaking, I can’t even know about his situation, let alone talk about it with a civilian.”

“Open secret, Rhodey,” Tony corrects him and flies through the rest of the conversation without letting Rhodey get another word in. He’s already won this argument, Rhodey is just pushing back on the principle of it. “It barely counts. So, you’ll be here pretty soon? You can tell Steve yourself. See you soon.”

Then he hangs up and lifts his eyebrows in Clint’s direction. The guy has the decency to look mildly impressed before he stands up and mutters something about going to find Natasha. Tony puts his feet up again and grins. He’s done his good deed for the day.


End file.
